French West Africa

Quick Facts: Who was French West Africa?

Subject:

French West Africa

Known for:

A federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa, existing from 1895 to 1958.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

French West Africa (French: Afrique-Occidentale française, AOF) was a federation of eight French colonial territories in West Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan (now Mali), French Guinea (now Guinea), Ivory Coast, Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), Dahomey (now Benin), and Niger. The federation existed from 1895 until 1958. Its capital was Saint-Louis in Senegal until 1902, and then Dakar until the federation's collapse in 1960. With an area of 4,689,000 km2, French West Africa was eight times the size of Metropolitan France. French Equatorial Africa had an additional area of 2,500,000 km2.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

Until after World War II, most West Africans living in the colonies of France were not citizens of France. Rather, they were "French subjects," lacking rights before the law, property ownership rights, rights to travel, dissent, or vote. The exception was the Four Communes of Senegal: those areas had been towns of the tiny Senegal Colony in 1848 when, at the abolition of slavery by the French Second Republic, all residents of France were granted equal political rights. Anyone able to prove they were born in these towns was legally French. They could vote in parliamentary elections, which had been previously dominated by white and mixed-race residents of Senegal.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The Four Communes of Senegal were entitled to elect a deputy to represent them in the French parliament in 1848–1852, 1871–1876, and 1879–1940. In 1914, the first African, Blaise Diagne, was elected as the deputy for Senegal in the French Parliament. In 1916, Diagne pushed a law through the National Assembly (loi Blaise Diagne) granting full citizenship to all residents of the so-called Four Communes. In return, he promised to help recruit millions of Africans to fight in World War I. Thereafter, all black Africans of Dakar, Gorée, Saint-Louis, and Rufisque could vote to send a representative to the French National Assembly. As the French pursued their part in the scramble for Africa in the 1880s and 1890s, they conquered large inland areas, and at first, ruled them as either a part of the Senegal colony or as independent entities.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1848: 1848 Milestone — The exception was the Four Communes of Senegal: those areas had been towns of the tiny Senegal Colony in 1848 when, at the abolition of slavery by the French Second Republic, all residents of France were granted equal political rights.
2. 1895: 1895 Milestone — The federation existed from 1895 until 1958.
3. 1902: 1902 Milestone — Its capital was Saint-Louis in Senegal until 1902, and then Dakar until the federation's collapse in 1960.
4. 1914: 1914 Milestone — In 1914, the first African, Blaise Diagne, was elected as the deputy for Senegal in the French Parliament.
5. 1916: 1916 Milestone — In 1916, Diagne pushed a law through the National Assembly (loi Blaise Diagne) granting full citizenship to all residents of the so-called Four Communes.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: French West Africa

True or False: “The Four Communes of Senegal were the only areas where African residents could legally vote for representation in the French Parliament before 1914.”

Answer (TRUE ⭕): While other limited rights evolved later, the initial and most significant political foothold for Africans was established through these four specific communes.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Albert I of Monaco — Historical peer (Born in 1848) (1848): Prince of Monaco, devoted to science, exploration, and modernizing the state.
• Augustus Saint-Gaudens — Historical peer (Born in 1848) (1848): Pioneering American sculptor embodying the ideals of the American Renaissance.

Frequently Asked Questions about French West Africa